All Yomimono Mystery Novel Newcomer Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 15 (1976) award
Jirō Akagawa
あかがわ じろう
akagawa jiro
Pen Names:
Jiro Akagawa（Same as legal name）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1948-02-29 （Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Screenwriter, Essayist, Critic
- Active Years
- 1976-
- Affiliations
- Kanazawa Gakuin University (faculty)
- Memberships
- Japan PEN Club member
- Influenced By
- Sherlock Holmes (Arthur Conan Doyle)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toho High School | — | — | — | — | Japan |
Toho High School
Country:
Japan
Graduated from the integrated Toho middle/high school
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | All Yomimono Mystery New Writer Award | Ghost Train | — | Bungeishunju (All Yomimono) | winner |
| 1980 | Kadokawa Novel Award | Requiem for a Bad Wife | — | Kadokawa Shoten | winner |
| 2006 | Japan Mystery Literature Award | — | — | Japan Mystery Literature Award Committee | winner |
| 2016 | Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Prize | Tokyo Year Zero | — | Yoshikawa Eiji Cultural Promotion Foundation | winner |
All Yomimono Mystery New Writer Award
1976
Work:
Ghost Train
Organization:
Bungeishunju (All Yomimono)
Result:
winner
Kadokawa Novel Award
1980
Work:
Requiem for a Bad Wife
Organization:
Kadokawa Shoten
Result:
winner
Japan Mystery Literature Award
2006
Organization:
Japan Mystery Literature Award Committee
Result:
winner
Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Prize
2016
Work:
Tokyo Year Zero
Organization:
Yoshikawa Eiji Cultural Promotion Foundation
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Japan Mystery Literature Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 9 (2006) award
Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 50 (2016) award
Works
Major Works
The Adventures of Mike-Neko Holmes
1978 Mystery (humorous mystery)A novel in the Mike-Neko Holmes series featuring a likeable detective and a calico cat; noted for its humor and puzzle-solving.
HumorEveryday mysteriesFriendship and family
Adaptations
- [TV drama] Mike-Neko Holmes (TV series) (1979)
Ghost Train
1976 Horror/MysteryAkagawa's debut piece, a work involving ghosts with mystery elements.
GhostsHorrorPuzzle
Sailor Suit and Machine Gun
1978 Youth novel / MysteryA story of a schoolgirl drawn into conflict; one of Akagawa's best-known works adapted into film and TV.
YouthViolence and justiceComing of age
Adaptations
- [Film] Sailor Suit and Machine Gun / 相米慎二 (1981)
- [TV drama] Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (TV) (1982)
Tokyo Year Zero
2015 NovelA long novel published in Akagawa's 40th year since debut; awarded the Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Prize.
City lifeHuman dramaSocial depiction
Bibliography
- Mike-Neko Holmes series (representative series)
- Ghost series
- Sailor Suit and Machine Gun
- Tokyo Year Zero
Adaptations
- Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (film & TV)
- Mike-Neko Holmes (TV, stage, etc.)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Plain, light-hearted proseHumorous approach to mysteryAccessibility and readability
- Recurring Motifs
- Family relationshipsGhosts and supernaturalDetective series
Legacy
A prolific writer known for light, accessible prose and humor. His popular series have been widely adapted and he has had a major impact on popular Japanese literature.
Academic Societies
- Japan PEN Club
Archives
- National Diet Library (authority/archives)
In Popular Culture
- Film and TV adaptations (Sailor Suit and Machine Gun, Mike-Neko Holmes, etc.)
Quotes
-
Even if the economy can be recovered, human lives cannot be recovered. Medical workers and the press alike must appeal to conscience and oppose the holding of the Olympics.
Source: Statement (criticizing Tokyo 2020 decision to proceed, 2021) (2021)
Trivia
- Born on February 29 (leap day), often noted jokingly in age references.
- Prefers to write longhand on manuscript paper with a felt-tip pen rather than using word processors or computers.
- Extremely prolific: has authored several hundred books.